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Crusaders
Crusaders are a branch of paladins deeply associated with the Church of Truth in the Kingdom of Grostere, their slogan is Equity for the Meek with Perseverance and Strength. History Shardfall For more on this event, see here. The fragmented orders that survived the journey across from Farthrone during Shardfall, breaking all oaths and ties to that land they had left behind. Foundation of Grostere The warlord Grost gathers a number of companions together, united in their shared faith in the sun god Pelor which grants their divine powers allows them to conquer the disparate peoples of west Etan into a state modeled by visions granted to Grost by Pelor. Outlawing by First Truth Once the Church of Truth was established, the caste of holy warriors were outlawed by most interpretations of the Truth, forcing its members either to renounce their oaths or turn to enacting the will of Pelor from the shadows. This period is generally considered to have been a test of some kind, for the Church of Truth, the Kingdom of Grostere, and the Crusaders themselves, which they are all considered to have passed though the exact nature and reasoning behind the outlawing in the Truth remains a mystery to this day. Pelor's Glory For more on this event, see here. By Pelor's Glory the Crusaders had been allowed to reform and retake their oaths, there was however a stigma attached to the role of Crusaders as the common folk considered them heralds of woe or in conflict with the clerics of the Church, though the new Truth was interpreted as promoting the cooperation of all facets of the Church. Redemption The Crusaders were truly redeemed during the First March of the Seethe-Tenshackle Alliance, which was deemed to be a just cause by the Church of Truth. At this time a Patre Evech, the Light of the Crusade, was given powers over the order to keep them in line with the Truth. Long Night For more on this, see here. The Long Night was a period of relative stability for the Crusaders, the initial incursion of vampires into Etan meant their abilities were in high demand and received a great deal of support and recruitment swelled their numbers to allow them to establish chapter houses attached to churches and parishes across the Kingdom of Grostere and beyond. Cast in Shadows For a brief period during the end of the sixth century of the Long Night the Truth appeared to once again be calling for the disbanding of the Crusaders, but after a particularly careful examination of the Truth by the Patre Evech of the Word it was discovered that instead the world had to believe that the order had been disbanded to force a threat to come out of the shadows and reveal themselves. This would come in the form of the Necromancer Lord exiled years ago from Arroad, the dark mage raised an army of the dead intending to take the city of Strappe before using the bodies of the dead to take back her lost power in the neighbouring Noble State. Instead of a merchant city filled with defenceless people, the self styled Queen of Corpses met a mighty host of warriors in dark tattered cloaks which they tore off as they charged the mass of undead she had harvested over the years, revealing their shining armour beneath. The facade of the Crusaders was revealed and they were once again seen as heroes by the people of Grostere. Divine Era For more on this, see here. During the onset of the Dawn of Exarchs, most Crusaders felt the power of the gods arriving in Tolas in form of their chosen avatars or agents, most saw this as a positive event and believed that the new Truth that would come from the many visions and prophecies the event inspired would lead to greatness for Grostere. War in the Silence For more on this event, see here. During the Silence, like all divine channelers, the Crusaders lost their powers, few however lost their faith as they had the institution of the Church to fall back upon, most remaining as mounted knights and warriors of the highest calibre. As the War in the Silence touched Grostere, sparking a civil war as tensions grew, many Crusaders found themselves fighting their own order, as the Kingdom nearly tore itself apart. King's Truth With the return of their powers the Crusaders adhere to the King's Truth, the current version of the Truth that promotes the old ways of helping others, self-sacrifice, and protecting the weak. The order has suffered from the Silence and works to redeem itself. Since a series of attacks on Grostere by outside forces, King Sanctus II has begun to take further involvement in the direction of the Crusaders, passing information gleaned from his clairvoyant abilities to the Patre Evech of the Crusade, or even sometimes appearing to individual members through his divine magicks with some dire warning of some threat he had foreseen. Organisational Structure Patre Evech of the Crusade The Patre Evech given oversight of the Crusaders, tasked with maintaining that the order adheres to the Truth and the will of the Pontif Solier. The current Patre of the Crusade is Albigen Cassar. Preceps The commanders of the Crusaders are known as preceps, the title hold equals rank with other preceps, with each only being answerable to the Patre Evech of the Crusade. Lusir Lusirs, or Knights, make up the majority of the warriors of the Crusaders, they usually take the shape of what most people think of when they imagine a paladin of a holy order; a paragon of virtue, adhering to the word of their god, and upholding law, justice and good. A knight was originally referred to by the title of lusir, though to the common folk they were known as sirs, which has since become a more popular title for the holy warriors. Vigilo Squires to the Crusaders are known as vigilo. ''Their exact role differing depending on the ''lusir they are attached to, and the environment they are in, some work as their master's right hand, others are aspirants sent to join the Crusaders by their family and serve in whatever way they can, often they serve as foot soldiers in larger battles the Crusaders are involved in, performing duties mounted or heavily armoured knights could not perform. Temple of the Blessed Crusade The centre of the Crusaders power, the Temple of the Blessed Crusade is a fortified cathedral in Charley, far from most major settlements. It houses the largest number of Crusaders in one place, as most of its members travel Grostere acting under the orders of the commanders or as their work with the Church of Truth.Category:Organisations Category:Grostere